Smoke Damage: Time to Call in the Pros

Call a Professional

Most people think damage from a house fire is restricted only to the location in which the physical fire touched, but unfortunately, even a small house fire can produce serious smoke damage throughout a home.

Smoke damage needs to be addressed quickly if you want to restore your home to its previous state. Even after a fire has been completely extinguished, damage from smoke can impact your home’s structural integrity, electrical components and toxicity levels. Therefore, you should always leave smoke damage removal to a professional restoration company, as they have the proper equipment, expertise, and experience to handle this task.

Smoke reacts differently depending upon the surface in which it is adhering. For example, smoke odor permeated into wood needs to be treated differently than cleaning plastic. Home restoration companies have the knowledge and cleaning products to fix the problem, but more importantly, they know how not do any further damage.

Smoke damage also requires both special equipment and chemicals to get the job done right. Smoke often seeps into the walls and needs a process called “thermal fogging” to neutralize the odor. Thermal fogging is a technique professionals use to open up the pores of walls to remove the smoke contained within them. The process is followed by using industrial-sized dehumidifiers to dry out your home from water damage and special machines to reduce odors. It is possible that your walls will need to be repainted as well.

Smoke removal can be a cumbersome, complicated process — and something you need to do right the first time. Dealing with the aftermath of a house fire is difficult enough, and the main priority is to get back into your home as quickly and safely as possible. When you’re dealing with smoke, always call in the professionals.